Morning Meditations

Poetry, Bookstores, and a Prompt

Poetry and Bookstores

I almost missed it. Driving alone down Main Street in Whitewater, Wisconsin, I passed the corner store and barely caught the word BOOK on the sign in my periphery. I circled back around the block to investigate.

It was this small-town-bank-turned-used bookstore (Best repurposing of a space ever!) that led me to the very first poem in a new-to-me book that inspired this morning’s mediation.

From Felicity by Mary Oliver

Ninety percent of writing is about paying attention, whether the focus is on the first draft, the tenth run of revisions, or yesterday’s view from the window — or road, as it was in my case — and circling back to take another look. All of this takes time, and that’s a good thing.

The Book Teller was designed with the writer, the artist, and the town’s history in mind. Perfect! If you’re in Whitewater, take Main Street and stop by. If Whitewater is too far away, take a drive to the small town nearest you, find that tiny bookstore (and share the name here!). Consider it an impulsive Artist’s Date. Consider it a Writer’s (or Publisher’s) Prerogative. Consider the first book that calls to you, the first page you open, and the message inside. What you discover may be just enough to set you writing.

Put #PenToPaper

If you’re a paid subscriber, read on for another great book by an author who spent a year paying attention and writing about it. Read on for a prompt inspired by one of his essays.